Plant-based milk

Abstract

The invention concerns a liquid plant-based milk having an ingredient composition comprising the following ingredients: —at least one plant protein as the only source of protein of said composition, —at least one plant-based oil or fat, —at least one natural sweetener, —calcium citrate tetrahydrate as the only salt of calcium in said composition, —at least one buffer selected from the list of dipotassium phosphate, disodium phosphate, potassium lactate, sodium lactate, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium citrate, sodium citrate and a mix of them and their corresponding acids, —optionally flavours, colorants and/or vitamins—water, said milk being free of gums, hydrocolloid thickeners and synthetic emulsifiers.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A liquid plant-based milk having an ingredient composition comprising:
 at least one plant protein, wherein the liquid plant-based milk does not contain any protein other than the at least one plant protein,   at least one plant-based oil or fat,   at least one natural sweetener,   calcium citrate tetrahydrate as the only salt of calcium in said composition,   at least one buffer selected from the list of dipotassium phosphate, disodium phosphate, potassium lactate, sodium lactate, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium citrate, and a mix of them and their corresponding acids,   water, and   said milk being free of gums, hydrocolloid thickeners and synthetic emulsifiers.   
     
     
         2 . The liquid plant-based milk according to  claim 1 , which comprises a mineral composition of:
 between 10 and 100 mmol/l of Ca,   between 10 and 80 mmol/l of Na,   between 20 and 200 mmol/l of K, and   between 15 and 150 mmol/l of P,   and the at least one buffer comprises potassium citrate, and the liquid plant-based milk comprises the potassium citrate in a concentration between 7 and 70 mmol/l.   
     
     
         3 . The liquid plant-based milk according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one plant protein is pea protein only or faba bean protein only. 
     
     
         4 . The liquid plant-based milk according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one plant protein is present in the ingredient composition in an amount comprised between 2 and 8% in weight of the ingredient composition. 
     
     
         5 . The liquid plant-based milk according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one plant oil or fat is present in the ingredient composition in an amount comprised between 1 and 5% in weight of the ingredient composition. 
     
     
         6 . The liquid plant-based milk according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one natural sweetener is present in the ingredient composition in an amount comprised between 1 and 10% in weight of the ingredient composition. 
     
     
         7 . The liquid plant-based milk according to  claim 1 , wherein the calcium citrate tetrahydrate is present in the ingredient composition in an amount comprised between 0.18 and 1.8% in weight of the ingredient composition. 
     
     
         8 . The liquid plant-based milk according to  claim 1 , wherein the buffer is dipotassium phosphate and said dipotassium phosphate is present in the ingredient composition in an amount comprised between 0.5 and 1.8% in weight of the ingredient composition. 
     
     
         9 . The liquid plant-based milk according to  claim 1 , wherein the ingredient composition consists of:
 pea protein isolate,   at least one plant-based oil,   at least one natural sweetener,   calcium citrate tetrahydrate as the only salt of calcium of said composition,   dipotassium phosphate, and   water.   
     
     
         10 . The liquid plant-based milk according to  claim 1 , wherein the ingredient composition consists of:
 faba bean protein isolate,   at least one plant-based oil,   at least one natural sweetener,   calcium citrate tetrahydrate as the only salt of calcium of said composition,   dipotassium phosphate, and   water.   
     
     
         11 . The liquid plant-based milk according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one plant protein and the at least one plant-based fat are emulsified and form agglomerates inside the milk. 
     
     
         12 . The liquid plant-based milk according to  claim 11 , which comprises a mean diameter D of the agglomerates ranges between 1 and 30 μm. 
     
     
         13 . The liquid plant-based milk according to  claim 1 , wherein the pH of said milk is comprised between 6.7 and 7.8. 
     
     
         14 . The liquid plant-based milk according to  claim 1 , which comprises a total solid content of between 8% to 24% in weight.